A Woman's Intuition

At the "entrance" of Shrek Academy, around a hundred applicants had gathered. Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong were among them.

It was worth mentioning that although the two girls had made a prominent appearance in the Q&A broadcast videos, they had not attracted much attention. Or rather, the people around them had not recognized them as people who had appeared in the videos.

After all, reality was not like an anime, where a character always had only one hairstyle and one set of clothes. As such, a slight change in hairstyle and a different outfit were enough. Unless someone was an acquaintance or had especially distinctive features, there was still quite a gap between a video and reality.

On top of that, there were plenty of people in the world with similar facial features. Thus, Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing had not faced the trouble of being recognized wherever they went these past few days. After all, most ordinary people watched videos just for entertainment, then forgot about them afterward.

It was not as though appearing in a video would suddenly make someone a celebrity known to the entire world, surrounded by onlookers everywhere they went.

"Zhuqing, do you feel like there's something off about this Shrek Academy?" Ning Rongrong stood behind Zhu Zhuqing and whispered, "It's way too different from the advertisements."

"Mm, it does feel wrong." Zhu Zhuqing furrowed her lovely brows, wondering whether this academy was some scam hiding behind a respectable name.

Quite a few people nearby were frowning as well, whispering among themselves.

"Is this some kind of joke? This is the so-called Soul Master Academy? The one that claims its graduates can become Imperial Viscounts?"

"Spirit Hall said it, so it shouldn't be wrong, right? But this academy really is too shabby."

"Dad, I don't want to study here. It's too embarrassing. I'd rather go to Soto Intermediate Soul Master Academy. At least I was considered a genius back at my junior academy."

"Son, since we're already here, let's wait a little longer. Maybe this is some kind of test. The real academy might not be here."

There were certainly no shortage of similar conversations among the people lining up. Most of the youths and their parents wore deeply disappointed expressions.

Zhu Zhuqing turned her gaze toward the front, where registration was taking place. Thanks to the hearing far sharper than an ordinary person's that her cat Martial Soul granted her, she could vaguely make out the conversation there.

The elderly man sitting behind the table and handling registrations looked utterly lazy. Calling his clothes simple would be putting it nicely; bluntly put, he looked like an old rural farmer.

A youth was registering at the desk.

The old man said lazily, "The registration fee is ten Gold Soul Coins. Just put them in that box."

The youth's accompanying father hurriedly took out ten Gold Soul Coins and placed them into the box made from several nailed-together wooden planks, producing a jingling sound.

"Hold out one hand."

The youth did as instructed and extended his hand before the old man. The old man squeezed it twice, then shook his head and said, "You don't meet the age requirement. You can leave."

The youth froze for a moment, then turned helplessly toward his father. His father hurriedly forced a smile. "Teacher, my son only just turned thirteen. Could you possibly make an exception?"

The old man said impatiently, "Don't hold up the people behind you. We only accept children under thirteen here. Anyone over thirteen will not be admitted. You can leave."

Seeing that there was no room for negotiation, the youth's father could only ask, "Then our registration fee..."

The old man replied without the slightest courtesy, "Once paid, registration fees will not be refunded."

Hearing that, the youth's father could not help but snap, "You're clearly scamming people out of their money. Return our registration fee, or we won't leave. If we'd known this so-called Shrek Academy was this run-down, we never would have come."

One Gold Soul Coin was enough for a family of three to live comfortably, eating and drinking well, for several months.

It was easy to imagine that ten Gold Soul Coins were no small sum. Having them suddenly swindled away like this, no one would be willing to let it go.

The old man glanced at him and said flatly, "Mu Bai, someone wants their registration fee back. Handle it."

The moment he finished speaking, a figure suddenly leaped out from the side. Cracking his wrists, he threatened, "You want your registration fee back? Fine. Beat me, and you'll get every coin back!"

At the same time, accompanied by a tiger's roar, three Soul Rings appeared around his body.

This person was Dai Mubai. He had been sitting off to the side earlier, blocked from view by the crowd, so Zhu Zhuqing had not seen him. Now, seeing her fiancé acting like a thug and intimidating ordinary people over ten Gold Soul Coins, she immediately found it unbearable to watch.

Especially when a proper academy would swallow applicants' tuition fees, then refuse them admission. This shamelessly outrageous maneuver was truly eye-opening!

Was studying at an academy like this really not just wasting time?

Zhu Zhuqing suddenly felt that her future was pitch-black.

Sigh, forget it. I'm already here.

I'll just register and attend for a while first.

Maybe this academy is rotten on the outside but valuable within?

Maybe its seemingly dilapidated exterior is merely a facade, while the real learning environment is actually excellent?

Zhu Zhuqing could only comfort herself like this, because she truly had no choice. Their fates had long been bound together. If she did not join forces with Dai Mubai, she had no way to stay alive.

What else could she do?

She was desperate too!

Among Soul Masters, Soul Rings were always the best proof of authority. Seeing the three Soul Rings around Dai Mubai, including a Thousand-Year Soul Ring, the youth's father's expression changed drastically. Throwing out a muttered, "Consider us unlucky," he grabbed his son and hurried away.

Dai Mubai returned to his seat at the side. His pair of cold pupils swept over the youths and parents waiting to register behind them, making his threat unmistakably clear.

The pressure brought by three Soul Rings was not something ordinary people could endure. At that moment, he did not look like a descendant of royalty at all, but rather like a thug.

Once this scene ended, a third of the people waiting in line immediately left. No one wanted to spend money for nothing, especially when the appearance of Shrek Academy before them was truly hard to praise.

Another youth seeking to register walked up to the old man.

This youth had come alone. He had blue hair and blue eyes, and his features were handsome. His entire demeanor was gentle, making people naturally inclined to like him and find him pleasing to the eye.

Zhu Zhuqing stared at this youth, inexplicably feeling that he looked familiar.

A woman's sixth sense was truly terrifying!

Because this youth was Tang San, whose appearance had changed drastically after awakening the Blue Silver Emperor Martial Soul. Following the original plan, he had come to enroll at the Shrek Academy recommended by his teacher.

As for why he did not simply stay by his father Tang Hao's side to cultivate, instead coming here to study, it was mainly because Tang San was still too young and his Soul Power Level was not high enough. At this stage, there were things he needed to learn that Tang Hao could not teach him, because they were too basic. Besides, being strong did not mean one knew how to teach others.

For those reasons, Tang San had ultimately decided to follow the original plan and come here to study.